Meaning of MANY in English

MANY

I. ˌmenē, -ni sometimes _mən- adjective

( more (|)mō(ə)r, -ȯ(ə)r, -ōəˌ-ȯ(ə) ; most (|)mōst)

Etymology: Middle English many, mony many a, many, from Old English manig, mænig, monig; akin to Old Saxon & Old High German manag many a, many, Old Norse mangr, Gothic manags many a, many, Old Irish menicc frequent, Sanskrit magha gift, Old Slavic mŭnogŭ much

1. : consisting of or amounting to a large but indefinite number : not few

many people expressed fear

worked hard for many years

a country with many natural resources

the many advantages of an education

2. : one of a large but indefinite number regarded distributively — used before a, an, or another or in an inverted construction to modify a singular noun

many a man hoped for better days

remained a mystery for many a year

many another student made the same mistake

many is the time she scolded the boy

•

- as many

II. pronoun, plural in construction

Etymology: Middle English many, mony many a one, many, from Old English manig, mænig, monig, from manig, mænig, monig, adjective

: a large number of persons or things

many are called but few are chosen — Mt 22:14 (Revised Standard Version)

many of the statements are true

III. noun, plural in construction

Etymology: many (I)

1. : a large but indefinite number of units or individuals

a good many of the books were novels

a great many of the tourists were from the East

2. : the great majority of people : masses , multitude — often used with preceding the

nothing but contempt for the many

3. obsolete : company , host , retinue

the chiefs divide and wheeling east and west before their many ride — John Dryden

4. usually capitalized : something that is manifold : plurality

philosophers have largely proclaimed the One to be reality and the Many to be appearance — H.M.Kallen

Webster's New International English Dictionary.Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.2012